India’s potential badminton world champion

A record 21 badminton players are representing India at the 2017 Glasgow World Championships. India has never sent such a large contingent to the annual event which leaves the space for an Indian to be crowned ‘World Champion’. One of India’s brightest medal prospects at Glasgow this year will be Srikanth Kidambi.

The 24-year-old right-hander from Andhra Pradesh has been on a roll this year, pushing his way to three consecutive Super Series finals at Indonesia, Singapore and Australia, winning two in the process. What’s more, he won the two tournaments at Indonesia and Australia within two weeks of each other, on June 18th and June 25th, both times overcoming highly ranked opponents in Japan’s Kazumasa Sakai and China’s Chen Long. Added to the fact that another Indian, Sai Praneeth, won the Singapore title, the future of Indian badminton looks pretty rosy for the time being.

The second consecutive Superseries win was definitely a crowning moment of glory for the young shuttler.Srikanth Kidambi

Srikanth first burst onto the international stage when he won the silver medal at the Commonwealth Youth Games of 2011 in the mixed doubles category. Ever the erudite protégé, he credits his coach Pullela Gopichand for his success. “I think he is the man behind all the success of badminton today,” said Srikanth of the recent resurgence of the sport in India, “So whatever we have today and whatever we will have in the next generation, it will be all because of him.”

And so it is. Like many of the other superstars in Indian badminton who have brought the sport into the limelight in recent years, Srikanth too hones his skills at Gopichand’s academy in Hyderabad.

He himself became one of the most promising names to emerge in Indian badminton after he beat Chinese badminton legend Lin Dan in his backyard at the 2014 China Open Super Series Premier in straight sets, and followed that up with two wins against Victor Axelsen in 2015 at the Swiss Open Grand Prix and the India Open Super Series. In 2016, he brought further glory to himself and the country at the South Asian Games with a double tally of gold medals in the singles and the team events. Along with the likes of P V Sindhu, Saina Nehwal, Sai Praneeth and Ajay Jayaram, Srikanth has scaled newer heights every year and has done his part in bringing greater recognition to the sport in this cricket-crazy nation.

Despite starting the year outside the top 10, ranked 15th in the world, he enters the World Championships as world no. 8, and is one of the 12 Indians in the top 100. Having heralded his arrival with a scintillating start to the tournament after a 21-13, 21-12 victory over Russian Sergey Sirant, Srikanth will certainly be one of the contenders for the title. One wouldn’t be too far off if one were to bet on him being the next World Champion in badminton.

It has been 34 years since a male shuttler from India last won a medal at the Worlds. But there seems to be something in Srikanth’s consistently brilliant run that gives the hope that things might just end up changing this year. For his first match yesterday, the World No. 8 recorded a comfortable win in straight sets and wrapped up the match in a mere 28 minutes. There did not seem to be a single moment during the relentless volleys where one might get the slightest inkling of the Indian losing control over the game. With the calm demeanour and confidence of someone who had already won two Superseries titles in the past month, Srikanth eased past in 70th ranked opponent, Sergey Sirant with a definitive scoreline of 21-13 21-12.

Despite starting the year outside the top 10, ranked 15th in the world, Srikanth entered the World Championships as world no. 8.Srikanth Kidambi

A lot has been written and said about the sudden surge of laurels in Indian badminton. Indeed, since PV Sindhu’s much appreciated Olympic medal, youngsters like Sai Praneeth and Srikanth have drawn attention to themselves on various international stages on account of their good form. Whereas Srikanth must certainly be credited as one of the brightest rising stars of the sport in the country, credit must also go to the complete overhaul the sport has received under the very capable hands of Gopichand and his trusted advisor, Ganguly Prasad. The continuous wins on the international circuit are proofs in themselves.

All said and done, Srikanth Kidambi is definitely one of India’s best chances at a medal in the World Championships. The cherry on the cake is that he has been handed a comparatively easy draw on his road to the final rounds. Srikanth will face Frenchman Lucas Corvee in the second round. The lad from Guntur has already been compared to Taufik Hidayat by Hidayat’s former and Srikanth’s current coach Mulyo Handoyo. That itself is huge validation and it certainly makes the weight of expectations on him a little heavier.

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Partner Story

Even at 76, Pradip Burman, the zestful chairman of Mobius Foundation radiates a contagious enthusiasm when he is talking about sustainability. The environmental crusader, better known to many as the great-grandson of Dabur founder Dr S.K.Burman, has devoted substantial attention towards promoting the concept of sustainability in all aspects of life. He refuses to conform to the convenience and comfort in today’s world which ultimately adds on to the adverse effects of climate change.

Talking to The Logical Indian, Burman emphasised why sustainability as a concept is indispensable for us. “We ought to be aware of what lies ahead of us. Soon we will finish the oil, iron, tin, and coal, and our next generations will be left with nothing. Recycling, banning plastics, stop felling trees for paper… This should become a part of everyone’s lifestyle,” he urges.

Mr Burman watering a sapling at the tree plantation drive organised by his non-profit Mobius Foundation

Traditional wisdom and modern research

A mechanical engineer from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA, Burman had always nurtured a keen interest in helping the society, as evident from his graduation project of designing a sonic aid for the visually challenged, which detected obstacles in the way using ultrasonic wave signals.

As an executive for the nature-centric company Dabur, Burman has always opted for natural alternatives to solve his everyday problems like taking Ayurvedic medicine to cure his Arthritis. He later launched the veterinary wing for Dabur – Ayurvet – which provides nature-friendly solutions for animal health care.

A patron of the ancient scientific wisdom of India, Burman always hailed the confluence of “traditional knowledge and modern research”, which he advocated as the Ayurvet motto.

Ayurvet is one of the best ventures by Mr Burman

As part of the CSR initiative of Dabur, Pradip Burman founded SUNDESH (Sustainable Development Society) which has been tirelessly working for last 25 years in remote villages for uplifting the rural communities in an environmentally sustainable way.

An advocate of sustainability

Burman believes that sustainability is the indispensable mantra for the world at present. Due to uncontrolled utilisation of the planet’s resources by human beings, the world today stands at a juncture of destabilisation. Today the human race has reached the pinnacle of progress but the advancement is happening in a very unsustainable manner.

Through energy-efficient use of everyday essentials like transport, communication, altered habits of diet, clothing and daily living, some crusaders of sustainability try to reduce their carbon footprint. Pradip Burman’s Mobius Foundation is one of the forerunners toward sustainability goals.

Mobius Foundation aims to change the sustainability dynamics

In 2015, Burman paved the way for the start of Mobius Foundation, focused on sustainability. Named after 18th-century German mathematician August Ferdinand Mobius, the famous Mobius strip has an important philosophical significance. The extraordinary shape symbolises balance and union.

Similar is the essence of Mobius Foundation which wishes to enhance the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” principle to a widespread basis in India, helping generations to come.

Founder Pradip Burman wishes to achieve notable development in education, population stabilisation and renewable energy projects.

A dream school in the making

At Coorg, Pradip Burman’s Mobius Foundation is constructing the World Environment School, Coorg (WESc) where the curriculum will surpass the boundaries of books and classrooms, with a special focus on hands-on learning in close collaboration with the environment. Amidst the pristine natural beauty of Coorg, the school will nurture young minds to grow up into future green leaders. As of now, the school will be open to teenagers, welcoming students from standards 6 to 12.

Needless to say, World Environment School will be the first-of-its-kind not only in India but also in entire South Asia. The school is expected to start from March 2020.

The school promises to nurture the responsible behaviour of citizens of our future.

The Sustainability Conference of 2019

In 2019, the Mobius Foundation has planned an international conference, on the lines of the celebrated earth summits over the past decade. The 2019 International Conference on Sustainability Education (ICSE 2019) aims to bring together environmental activists, practitioners of sustainable development as well as climate change experts to help develop a sustainability-focused curriculum.

It is surmised that the conference will give a platform to innovative concepts of Sustainability Education including an essential change in the existing education system ensuring a wholesome personal development for a student.

The Sustainability crusader

The Mobius founder strongly believes that it is high time to sprout sustainability awareness among a society drowning in consumerism and unknowingly doing irreparable harm to the planet, every second. The best way to achieve this goal is through education which is available to all. At present, the education system is predominantly career-oriented, making the learners a victim of materialism, and thus, their dreams are also outlined in those colours.

Living beyond the limits

When asked about his wish to attain the age of hundred, he strongly asserts that more than becoming a centurion, he wishes his life and work continue to better the society even in his absence. “I have lived my life. I wish that whatever I start before I go, will continue – for the betterment of my country,” says Mr Pradip Burman.

He is also a trustee of the Climate Reality Project – India (affiliated to Mr. Al Gore of the Climate Reality Project Foundation, USA). Climate Reality Project, India, has been actively engaged igniting the spark and spreading the message of climate change amongst educators, policy makers and civil society. The India branch looks after more than 500 trained Climate Leaders, and more than 900 volunteers spread all over the country.

In his journey, Pradip Burman has been a beacon of hope for millions, motivating many to join the movement for sustainability. We wish he continues his tireless efforts for promoting sustainability awareness and inspire generations to come.